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Friday, January 24, 2014

Justice League: War Review (2014)

Based upon the series Justice League: Origin by Geoff Johns & Jim Lee, Justice League: War is the first DC Universe Animated Original Movie to delve into the New 52 Universe and materiel. In chronology it takes place after the events of The Flashpoint Paradox and as such Superman is young and arrogant and humanity is not accepting of heroes yet as they have only just began to pop up.

Jay Oliva returns to Direct another feature after his success with The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 & 2 and The Flashpoint Paradox, while new guy Heath Corson adapts and writes the screenplay.

Justice League: War isn't anywhere as dense as Dark Knight Returns or Flashpoint but it is still a lot of fun. In-fact if it wasn't for the high levels of violence - not meeting Flashpoint levels - I would think it was more targeted at kids. Essentially after the set up of each of the heroes - Batman, (Jason O'Mara) Superman, (Alan Tudyk) Wonder Woman, (Michelle Monahgan) Green Lantern, (Justin Kirk) The Flash, (Christopher Gorham) Cyborg, (Shemar Moore) and Shazam (Sean Austin & Zach Callion as Billy) - the plot slides of the plate into one big action packed fight scene right up until the finale.

Most of the heroes manage to get enough time to develop them selves before the action comes in relentlessly. Superman just comes of as a cocky ass before beginning to punch everything, including a semi-recreated DKR fight scene that drags a bit. Wonder Woman appears to be the bimbo version of a Warrior Goddess and is more annoying than anyone else when ever she opens her mouth. Kick-ass she does and those scenes are amazing but the version of Wonder Woman who is completely head strong and screaming about just wanting to kill things constantly comes of as dumb. Victor Stone's Daddy issues ultimately result in his new transition to Cyborg and fits in to how he would now be a founding member of the League, not the Teen Titans but the issues are never really resolved and they take up a few to many minutes than what they should.

Geoff John's comedy is still here from the source material and the jokes are generally laugh out loud funny. Shazam telling Darkseid he doesn't care what his World of Warcraft I.D is - classic.

Unfortunate things also carry from the source material, like the aforementioned characterization of Wonder Woman and much like her and Superman, Darkseid gets similar treatment. Not coming of as a smart battle planer and world conquer but essentially a boss battle from a video game. His takedown is a thrilling battle but Darkseid could have been any old Alien with thick skin given the amount of personality he is given.

Since the source material wasn't nothing special, it manages to turn into an okay entry into DC's Animated Features. I'm not sure if DC deemed it necessary to tell this story to begin there ploy of New 52 based films or not but it does definitely feel that way. There is nothing special about the story compared to say the previous three entries in there films. It's all a lot of set-up for the assumably up-coming Throne of Atlantis storyline given Aquaman's replacement and the after credits sequence.

Justice League: War is a decent if not flat entry into the Animated Features from DC.